"We are here under a mathematical impossibility -- each of us thinks he is Vernon Jordan's closest friend," said Atlantic Media owner David Bradley, who co-hosted the party with his wife, Katherine, and Jim and Maxine Johnson.

D.C.'s consummate insider (civil rights leader, BFF of Bill Clinton, senior managing director with Lazard Freres & Co.) had plenty of serious reasons for penning "Make It Plain: Standing Up and Speaking Out," a collection of his speeches from 1971 to 2008. "It's my interpretation of the crucial events in the civil rights movement -- much of which is not recorded from a personal viewpoint," Jordan explained. "It's my view, my take, my experience, and what I learned."

The other good reason? "Your friends turn up for the book parties," he said with a grin.
Their reward? Didn't have to spring for the $24.95 book -- every guest got a free, personalized copy from the author.